Fixed-time

INTRODUCTION: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may act as a driver or propagator of systemic inflammation. In turn, cytokine release can modify thromboelastographic (TEG) tests which are commonly used for anticoagulation monitoring. In this context, antithrombin (AT) supplementation might further modify TEG. METHODS: This is a pre-specified sub-study of the "Randomized Controlled Trial of Antithrombin Supplementation During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation" study (investigator-initiated, randomized, single-blind, two-arm trial) conducted in two Italian ECMO referral ICUs...

Central fatigue is a common pathological state characterized by psychological loss of drive, lack of appetite, drowsiness, and decreased psychic alertness. The mechanism underlying central fatigue is still unclear, and there is no widely accepted successful animal model that fully represents human characteristics. We aimed to construct a more clinically relevant and comprehensive animal model of central fatigue. In this study, we utilized the Modified Multiple Platform Method (MMPM) combined with alternate-day fasting (ADF) to create the animal model...

This article analyzes and compares two general techniques of rare event simulation for generating paths of Markov processes over fixed time horizons: exponential tilting and stochastic bridge. These two methods allow us to accurately compute the probability that a Markov process ends within a rare region which is unlikely to be attained. Exponential tilting is a general technique for obtaining an alternative or tilted sampling probability measure, under which the Markov process becomes likely to hit the rare region at terminal time...

Resetting is a renewal mechanism in which a process is intermittently repeated after a random or fixed time. This simple act of stop and repeat profoundly influences the behavior of a system as exemplified by the emergence of nonequilibrium properties and expedition of search processes. Herein we explore the ramifications of stochastic resetting in the context of a single-file system called random average process (RAP) in one dimension. In particular, we focus on the dynamics of tracer particles and analytically compute the variance, equal time correlation, autocorrelation, and unequal time correlation between the positions of different tracer particles...

The fixed-time control problem is investigated for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems subjected to multiple unknown control directions. The control coefficients of nonlinear systems under consideration are time varying and their signs are not required to be identical. To tackle this challenge, a switching mechanism along with a novel dynamic boundary function is proposed. Utilizing the devised dynamic boundary function, adaptive parameters are introduced into the controller to effectively handle system uncertainties...

Can simple choice conditional-discrimination choice be accounted for by recent quantitative models of combined stimulus and reinforcer control? In Experiment 1, two sets of five blackout durations, one using shorter intervals and one using longer intervals, conditionally signaled which subsequent choice response might provide food. In seven conditions, the distribution of blackout durations across the sets was varied. An updated version of the generalization-across-dimensions model nicely described the way that choice changed across durations...

BACKGROUND: Insemination of mares with frozen-thawed spermatozoa requires intensive management and results in 40%-60% per cycle pregnancy rates. OBJECTIVES: To determine if satisfactory fertility is possible for frozen-thawed semen after processing it through a microfluidic device, followed by storage at 17°C for up to 24 h before fixed-time insemination. STUDY DESIGN: Uncontrolled field trials. METHODS: A pilot study evaluated the motility of frozen-thawed spermatozoa after centrifugation and storage (17°C) in two different media for up to 48 h...

IoT (Internet-of-Things)-powered devices can be exploited to connect vehicles to smart city infrastructure, allowing vehicles to share their intentions while retrieving contextual information about diverse aspects of urban viability. In this paper, we place ourselves in a transient scenario in which next-generation vehicles that are able to communicate with the surrounding infrastructure coexist with traditional vehicles with limited or absent IoT capabilities. We focus on intersection management, in particular on reusing existing traffic lights empowered by a new management system...

BACKGROUND: Good nursing leadership management positively correlates with patient care quality and an organization's performance. Plans to nurture top-notch talents and strengthen management functions are essential to retain key talents and achieve sustainability. The leadership training for nursing staff should begin early to cope with complex clinical situations. OBJECTIVES: To compare the impact of leadership training on high-performing young nurses' (young nursing elite) management functions and team behavior...

BACKGROUND: Schatzker type VI tibia fractures are usually associated with infection and surgical wound-related problems. Circular external fixation (CEF) has been shown to minimize such complications. METHODS: We pose a retrospective study of patients with Schatzker type VI fractures treated with CEF. RESULTS: Twenty-two (22) patients were included (11M/11F) with a mean age of 60.1 ± 14.9 years. According to the AO/OTA classification, two fractures (9...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the experiences, perceived benefits and disadvantages of home monitoring of pulmonary function in SSc patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted among SSc-ILD patients who used the home monitoring application of pulmonary function for at least 3 months. In our program, patients are instructed to perform home spirometry weekly at fixed time points using a mobile application with results being directly visible for patients and physicians...

BACKGROUND: Scheduled administration of analgesics was proven superior to on-demand dosing following cesarean deliveries. However, this protocol was not compared after vaginal delivery. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a fixed- compared to on-demand analgesic protocol for the management of pain in the first 24 hours after a vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN: This randomized, prospective, controlled trial was conducted at a single tertiary medical center, between June 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022...

Pregnancy losses from fixed-time embryo transfer (FTET) to calving were evaluated in Bos indicus-influenced beef and dairy recipients. Data from 4366 FTET events were collected from Nelore × Angus recipient heifers, and from 38538 FTET events in Gir × Holstein recipient heifers and cows. In beef recipients, pregnancy losses were greater (P < 0.01) from FTET (day 7 of the experiment) to day 32 compared with day 32-100 and with day 100 to calving (58.7, 39.5, and 36.7%, respectively), and did not differ (P = 0...

This paper examines fixed-time synchronization (FxTS) for two-dimensional coupled reaction-diffusion complex networks (CRDCNs) with impulses and delay. Utilizing the Lyapunov method, a FxTS criterion is established for impulsive delayed CRDCNs. Herein, impulses encompass both synchronizing and desynchronizing variants. Subsequently, by employing a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, two FxTS boundary controllers are formulated for CRDCNs with Neumann and mixed boundary condition, respectively. It is observed that vanishing Dirichlet boundary contributes to the synchronization of the CRDCNs...

We hypothesized that the hCG modulates the expression of IFNT-pathway and ISGs in bovine endometrium during early pregnancy. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of hCG on IFNT-pathway signals and ISGs expression in endometrial cells. For this, 29 non-lactating cross-bread cows were used in the study and submitted to a 9-day fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) protocol. The day of the AI was considered Day 0 (D0), and five days (D5) after the FTAI, the cows were allocated into two groups: Control and hCG group, when a hCG group received a single dose of 2...

BACKGROUND: Although endoscopy is commonly used for gastric cancer screening in South Korea, predictive models that integrate endoscopy results are scarce. We aimed to develop a 5-year gastric cancer risk prediction model using endoscopy results as a predictor. METHODS: We developed a predictive model using the cohort data of the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study from 2011 to 2019. Among the 260,407 participants aged ≥20 years who did not have any previous history of cancer, 435 cases of gastric cancer were observed...

In this article, a novel approach of prescribed performance synchronization control is developed for heterogeneous nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) subject to unknown actuator faults. Considering that not all followers are able to access the information of the leader, a distributed auxiliary perception system is proposed to estimate the state information of the leader to guarantee that the estimation errors converge to zero within fixed time. Then, based on the estimated states, a prescribed performance fault-tolerant control (FTC) approach is proposed, which achieves the user-defined performance specifications even in the presence of system faults...

BACKGROUND: The escalating global prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes presents a major public health challenge. Physical activity plays a critical role in managing (pre)diabetes; however, adherence to physical activity recommendations remains low. The ENERGISED trial was designed to address these challenges by integrating mHealth tools into the routine practice of general practitioners, aiming for a significant, scalable impact in (pre)diabetes patient care through increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour...

In this manuscript, based on nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) with full state constraints and considering security control problem under false data injection (FDI) attacks, the fixed-time formation control (FTFC) protocol was designed, which can ensure that all agents follow the required protocol within a fixed time. Fuzzy logic system (FLS) was used to compensate and approximate the uncertain function, which improved safety and robustness of the formation process. Finally, the fixed-time theory and Lyapunov stability theory were addressed to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method, and simulation examples verified the effectiveness of the theory...

This paper concerns a class of coupled competitive neural networks, subject to disturbance and discontinuous activation functions. To realize the fixed-time quasi-bipartite synchronization, an aperiodic intermittent controller is initially designed. Subsequently, by combining the fixed-time stability theory and nonsmooth analysis, several criteria are established to ensure the bipartite synchronization in fixed time. Moreover, synchronization error bounds and settling time estimates are provided. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to verify the main results...